It’s Good to be Green

An all natural green funeral leaves only a very small environmental footprint on the Earth.

“It’s new, and it’s something that will gain in popularity over time.” -Stephen Olsen, Royal Oak Burial Park

For those who are environmentalists in life and want to remain so even in death there is the strong growing trend of green funerals and green cemeteries. A natural burial refers to the natural decomposition of the body in the soil. Free from chemical embalming fluids, the deceased is placed in a biodegradable coffin or shroud.

Green funerals are growing in popularity. There are 20 green cemeteries in the U.S., while the U.K. has close to 200. Green burials are slowly gaining ground in Canada, as the country now officially counts three cemeteries with green burial sites √≥ the Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria B.C., the Cobourg Union Cemetery in Cobourg, Ont. and the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Halifax N.S. Outside of dedicated green funeral providers, the Green Burial Council counts over 300 approved providers in its North American jurisdiction.

Some small private funeral homes such are offering green coffins made of woven wicker. The caskets are made of sea grass grown in Vietnam fields that are free from pesticides and fertilizers. Other options available to different markets are things that reduce consumption of resources and polution, like solar cremation to reduce consumption of fuels and promession to eliminate emissions from cremation.